Divine Rivals

And I’m not afraid to be alone, but I’m tired of being the one left behind.

This book made me think of stained glass or a kaleidoscope: a beautiful collection of shiny pieces that, upon a closer look, don't quite meld into a cohesive whole. That's especially true for the setting in particular. The worldbuilding is just... so disjointed. There's that historical magical realism vibe that's especially strong at the beginning, and then there's all the big divine lore hanging over everything, and then there is the vividly painted picture of war and how it affects people. Sometimes, all of those strokes paint a coherent picture; plenty of other times, they clash.

Speaking of those war parts: I actually felt cautious about tackling the book because of this topic, but that ended up my favorite aspect of the story. I didn't expect it to be so visceral and to hit home so hard: not just all the frontlines plots, but the smaller scenes about the people left behind at home, the impact those who have the privilege of staying neutral have on the lives of those who are already touched by the fighting, and more. Unfortunately, very often when I got engrossed into the relatable, human side of things, the magical/divine stuff trickled in and ended up distracting rather than evocative. 

In fact, it's not just about the war aspect of the story. Rebecca Ross has a real knack for getting across those very ordinary moments of surviving in hard situations, like Iris's starting point with her alcoholic mother, and of finding joy even when the world is dark. She does has a knack for creating magical atmosphere, too, but somehow, those two knacks are very separate. There are magical scenes here filled with beautiful, otherworldly vibes. There are interpersonal and/or introspective scenes that invoke some genuine feelings. But the scenes where both things were attempted at once felt awkward to me.

The romance was something I was very much looking forward to, as I'm a sucker for enemies/rivals to lovers, and initially, both Iris and Roman seemed like compelling characters. But the more I read, the more interested I was in everything that surrounded their story. I think that might be because they were both rather reactive and passive about plenty of things, and also, there was a certain cheesiness to their interactions, especially when they were exchanging letters. I generally enjoyed Ross's prose a lot, but those letters, most of the time, were actually the least powerful, prose-wise. They often reminded me of a slightly more thoughtful version of those LJ posts I used to write as a teen, trying to make everything purposefully "deep" and lyrical. Having them then obsess over each other's writing and tell me how amazing it was and what sort of reactions it's supposed to inspire... well, it kind of took me out of the story and made it feel somewhat more juvenile that it could have been.

Despite the book ending on a cliffhanger, I'm not 100% sure yet if I'm planning to pick up the second one. While I enjoyed a lot of the aspects and the overall vibe a lot, the way it all came together just wasn't my cup of tea.

In the beginning I thought this book was simply amazing. The story consists of three parts that could each stand on their own, with great ideas. With big life-changing events separating the parts. Some original mythology. And an absolutely enchanting writing style.

But then again, this is not just a romance story, but also a war story. With war logic, war values and war events, inspired by WW1. And I really don't understand why people like to fill their leasure time and literature with such horrible stuff. Yes daddy, there's nothing more romantic than trenches full of bodies, and then the sudden introduction of chemical weapons.

Nonetheless, it could still have been a great book if the author had chosen the easy way of writing a predictable happy end. Instead she chose one you just cannot predict, not even in your wildest phantasies, not even after reading this review. And there will be a sequel, which won't be as good. The best parts are already told.

Edit: Also, this book is so straight. So He-must-be-the-one-protecting-Her straight. Literally no-sex-before-marriage straight. Not even the one queer couple in Avalon Bluff can fix this.

Tagline: No God. No War.
No one can come between them.


5/5



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